


Eyes On You

by gretaheelshire



Category: The Boy (2016 Bell)
Genre: Amnesia, Depression, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Horror, Killing, Postpartum Depression, Psychological Disorders, Psychological Drama, Psychological Horror, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Psychopath, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Serial Killers, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9316157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gretaheelshire/pseuds/gretaheelshire
Summary: A beautiful British woman, Vanessa was diagnosed with retrograde-amnesia after she went through a car accident. She moved to the Heelshire's house before bizzare events starts to takes place and change the rest of her life. Can she uncover the reality about the death of Emily Cribbs? How will she survive after she found out about the truth?





	1. Just Barely Moved

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time for me to write fanfictions and articles like this, and English is not my first language so please bear with me if there's any grammar errors and such. I always look forward for your constructive critics on this story! Enjoy :)

I felt bruises all over my body, my arms lying on top of the dashboard. I tried to move my legs, just to prove to myself that it was a stupid, painful thing to do. Groaning in pain, I can feel that I may've broken an ankle or two.I felt my right cheek laying on the steer nervelessly, making the horn of the car shout, bringing me to a sober state.

I still couldn't see clearly, tears blurring my sight all over. But no matter how injured I am right now, I have to get out of this car. This crashed car could explode at any second now. My arms are pushing my body away from the steer, to let my back lay on the seat, and so the noise of the horn stopped. I let out a groan of pain, and then I pant heavily.

Everything were blurry. I cried my eyes out silently, biting my lower lip hard. I couldn't imagine how all of this can happen.

I unbuckled the seat belt and tried to move, but oh, boy does every inch of my body is in pain. As my mascara dissolves in every drop of tear I cried out, I saw a hint of light at the end of the road. I squinted my eyes, trying hard to see any signs of life or help with my tears blurring out my vision.

Oh god how I hope it wasn't a mirage or a shadow of my tears because help is the only thing that I need right now. But the light grew bigger and felt even closer, that I can now faintly hear a sirene of ambulance wailing far over there.

Everything turned blurry, and the only thing that I can hear now is the beat of my heart. The sound of it made me feel alive.

Oh god, that's the only thing I want to make sure of. I looked at the light and it was so close, it blinds my eye. I closed my eyes, listening to my heart beat. It somehow made me feel calm, safe. I let out a long sigh and faintly smiled.

• • • • • • • • •

"Excuse me, lady? We are here."

"Oh, I'm sorry?" She stuttered, still trying to figure out what he just said. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, still trying to wake herself up from what feels like years of sleep. "Yeah, right, we are. Thank you for the ride." She got out from the car with her mahogany leather purse on one side of her shoulder. When she just stood, she ducked her head into the car "Sir, can you please help me with the bags?" She said with her British accent thick, to the driver who seems like a man at his late fifties.

He helped her get her bags out of the luggage and put those in front of the wide and antique door. She stood beside the car, staring at the huge and antique-looking house. 'So beautiful' she thought, while her greyish blue eyes are observing the outside of the Heelshire's house.

The weather wasn't so friendly here now, but the orange-coloured leaves of the trees and the strong wind is what she always loved about autumn season. It's the most beautiful time of the year. She flipped her long, wavy dark brunette hair and tucked a piece of hair that has been blowed by the strong wind aside to the back of her ear. "Thank you for your help, sir." She said politely, "No problem" he replied immediately while stepping into the car and leave.

She let out a small sigh, and smiled to the house. "Fresh start."

There's just something she loved so much about living in the middle the forest. The feeling of not knowing your surroundings, not seeing the colour of things as they appear, but as they truly are. Something about the unknown, the quiet, the cold.. There's something about the darkness in the forest, that she can never quite put words to. There's something unspoken about the dark, something terrifying yet beautiful.

She stepped to the door, and try to unlock it with numerous of keys that the seller got me - she groaned, before scrunching her nose in frustration and suddenly, it felt like time is slowing down and is focusing on her and I can only listen to my heartbeat - before eerie whispering voices started to take control in her head - it's getting louder and sounds angry.

All these feelings suddenly hit her like a brick.

It feels like someone's watching every move you make, making her feel wired - and she's not even sure that her heart is still in her body. The beat of it is getting faster, making her sweat. She's breathing in a short tempo and she felt her body shaking. It feels like she's losing her own control, until she can finally unlock the goddamn door, and swung it wide open.

She let out a long sigh, with her right hand up on her chest. _It was my panic attack again._

She stepped inside, carrying her bags and wowed to herself. She immediately fall in love with the architecture of the house - all the details, the people who have built this house have put so much heart over it - it reminds her about her father. He was an architect and he is one of the most understanding and sentimental people that has ever existed in her life. He is all about art and he always told her younger self - it's all about the details. _I guess he is the one who has ran art into the blood of his ancestry._

But everything here looked so-taken-care-of. The wooden panels and the shiny wooden staircase handle is all nice and clean. But how? The seller said that the house has been abandoned for almost half a year, no one has ever stepped into the house before I did. _Well, I guess they may have hired a janitor to do the job, but.. Just forget it._  Though the thought of it made the hair all over her body stand straight up.

She looked around all over the house, switching the lights on and off, adjusting the curtains, trying to get herself used to this whole house. _Kinda creepy.. But whatever. It already feels like home. She_  felt so happy that she can finally live on her own - without anyone else's pressure on her back. But something feels so wrong. She felt something staring at me, and the stare left me frozen and speechless.

• • • • • • • • •

She sat on the wooden bench - in the backyard garden. The scent of the forest, the golden leaves falling off the trees, and the way the wind blows her porcelain white skin - these things always make her feel better. It feels like all the pressure and weight, and the amount of stress in her life is being simply taken away as the wind blows it. It keeps her company. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, rubbing them against one another. The cool weather made her shiver.

She took the deep red note book into her grasp and crack it open. It's still all blank. She wrote "Vanessa's Life Journal" in the front page of the book. She open the next page, bit her lower lip, and glanced to the forest with her arched eyebrows furrowed, trying to figure out where to start. Then she started writing with the pencil in her hand.

" _My name is Vanessa Shade, whose Apr 25 1996 is the day I see the world for the very first time. I was born in Scotland, in my mother's hometown, but my dad himself is an American. I move to a flat in London at 18 to start living on my own. I was diagnosed with retrograde-amnesia that developed after I went through a car accident. They said I went coma for 2 months in a hospital, right after the accident, giving me a good amount of time for my body to recover from the injuries. The doctor recommended me to write a journal of my own life - as if I'm 'recording' it, it can help my brain to recall the events that happened before the accident, though it''s actually time that mostly takes charge of it. For now, I still couldn't remember most of the events that happened before the accident, but I will be. Anyway, it's autumn now and I'd finally moved to this house, that I may call it a mansion if I were using my logic, in London. The seller said that she needed someone to settle in immediately, it was a little weird but eh."_

The scenery of the forest always fascinates her - it immediately calmed her nerves down, after panic attacks, then she heard a loud thud from the inside of the house. She jumped and stood straight up, while her eyes are tracing the house underneath her long lashes. It's those feelings again. Her heart starts racing faster.

I felt my hands weakly shaking. Then I heard another thud, and then some. I let out a loud gasp and my eyes grew wider. _Is there someone else in the house? What if there's a robber inside? Did I locked the doors? What if there's a killer inside looking for me to be it's next prey? Have I made sure that the doors are locked? What should I do?!_

She couldn't catch any of her breath. All these voices are hurting her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and grasped her head with both of her hands. She sat there on the green grass staring at the house with both of her hands forming into fists, pressed to her lips. She shook her head violently while her whole body is shaking and rocking back and forth - _I can't do this. I was too afraid. But there must be something it there. This is my house and I'm the only one in charge - I have to face it._

She stood with her legs shaking and slowly walked to the door, until she reached the doorstep. She bring her right hand forward to reach the doorknob hesitantly. She squeezed her eyes shut and slowly shook her head, _I have to do this_. She grasped the doorknob and swung the door open quickly, just to see that there is none else inside. She rushed to take herself a look at most of the rooms downstairs. Zero. She exhaled deeply, flipped her hair and throw her butt on the comfy armchair by the door.

_It's okay, Vanessa. It's just your first day._


	2. Real Delusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The odd events that happened yesterday afternoon was something for her to forget, as life must go on. But tonight was out of her expectations, and tonight, yet another soul wished to see her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted readers to know that English is not my first language, thus there may be some grammar errors and such, and that's why I always looked forward for constructive critics from you on me and this story! I hope you'll enjoy :)

Saucepans are sizzling, pots are bubbling. She cut the onions and chopped them finely, and cook them in the hot oil, followed by tomato paste going into the saucepan and some spices. The sky is a beautiful dark navy blue, but the shine of her almond-shaped blue eyes make the stars look like they're not shining.

She tucked a strand of her hair to the back of her ear. She stirred the marinara sauce in the saucepan with a wooden spoon, and put it aside. She covered the simmering pot with a lid and walked away to the hallway.

As she walk down the hallway with a faint smile drawn on her pale face, she heard a faint thump. It immediately stops whatever she's doing at the moment. She gasped, with her eyes widened and cautious.

She slowly walked towards the end of the hallway and turned right, to see a shadow ran away quickly followed by a laughter of a child. She run to the shadow with a grunt and stops as soon as she laid her eyes on the doll. She couldn't catch any of her breathe, while she bring her right hand up to cover her mouth in shock.

She slowly walked with both of her legs visibly trembling, towards the life-sized boy doll sitting on a rocking chair, and kneel in front of it. The sight of the doll suddenly took her to a flashback to when she was a 6 years old, innocent cheerful-screaming child running from her brother and her friends, dressed in a handmade viking costume, inhaling the sweet perfume of the cold mountain grass.

Her baby blue eyes shone by the warm shine of the sun, her skin were as white as snow, and her lips were as red as dripping fresh blood.

She tripped by a log and almost fell down but the heart-warming eyes of her mother chase her into a hug. She giggled cheerfully, and looked at the hazel eyes of her mother. "Guess what, baby. I still have one more birthday gift for you!" Her mother said, with a grin as playful as the giggle her daughter let out. "What is it, mommy? What is it, mommy?" She said, pleading impatiently for her mother to show the gift already.

Her mother, Rosaline took one of her hand to her back, probably taking out the gift her daughter begged to see. She took the life-sized doll to the front of her daughter's sight, "Tadaaa!" She shouted at little Vanessa. Her daughter gasped, took the doll and gave her mother a hug in return. "Thank you so much, Mommy!" She said cheerfully, as she took herself a look at the soft, fabric life-sized doll.

"Did you like it?" Her mother asked her with the most playful grin she can give her daughter, and that was when she suddenly snapped out of the flashback her brain finally processed to remember.

That memory being recalled created a smile on her face, brushing off the fearful expression of her. She brushed his hair with her fingers gingerly. "You scared me" she chuckled softly, and gave an ephemeral smile to it.

"What brings you here?" She asked the doll with her brows furrowed, and of course, she got no answer in return.

 _What am I trying to achieve here?_  She moved her hand to caress his cold, porcelain cheek, it has tons of cracks on it. "What happened to you?", she whispered.

 _Bombs of questions are hitting her mind, and boy, did she has any mind. She may have lost_  
_it somewhere. What_ _just happened in the hallway was not credulous, and how this doll got here is out of the question._

 

She stared deeply into the doll's grey eyes. It seemed like it has a lot of stories in it. His eyes looked innocent, sad yet despicable. She stared to it like it was the most interesting thing in the world, and suddenly pushed her body away from the doll, shocked to the sound of the alarm. She left the stove.

 

She immediately run to the kitchen and turn the flame off. Smoke has almost filled the whole kitchen. _Gosh, what had she done._ She opened the lid of the pot to see a clump of burnt marinara sauce, and immediately put it in the sink and drown it in the running tap water. She rested her hands on her hip, sighing deeply.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

She sat on the comfy armchair, sipping a glass of red wine, while reading a book. It's a history book, because she always liked to learn about history ever since she stepped foot on middle school.

 

It's so inspiring, reading it is her personal yoga. She sipped the red liquid while looking to the forest through the window, feeding her nemophilist soul.

 

She ended up eating french toast, though it's not very filling for dinner. She can feel her eyes felt so heavy, it's midnight. She has spent the night reading that book. She walked weakly through the hallway, and remembered something. She glanced at the rocking chair where the doll sat. _The doll. Where is it?_

Her eyes grew wide. She ran to look for the doll. Kitchen, library, lounge, living room, dining room, nothing. She rushed upstairs, took herself a look at all the bedrooms, zero, until she has set her eyes on a bedroom with lots of toys scattered around the floor, and with the doll lying on the bed, his eyes set on hers.

She rushed to his body and grasped his shoulders and angrily growl at him, " **Enough!"**

She released her grasp as fast as she can get and stormed out of the room, locked the door. She went to her own room, slam the door shut and throw her back on the bed. She hid her face behind both of her hands, sobbing. _What's going on in this house!? What kind of game is this!?_

Sometimes, when she encounter a shocking, hideous or rage-filling events, she can completely lost it. She'd always hated herself about it, and it's one of her mental issues that she always have to work on.

She crossed her arms, grasping the shoulders and felt shivers down her body, realizing how cold it is. Her teeth has found its way to her bottom lip, and started digging into it, with tears rolling down her cheeks, then she drown herself in the soft duvet.

__Are these all my delusions_ _? Hell no. I saw everything. It doesnt felt like a dream and if it is, it felt as real as dreams can get._ _Stepping foot into this house was a huge mistake, it has changed the rest of my life. Or, it does after I set eyes on that freaking doll. Maybe thats why the seller wanted someone to settle in immediately, because shes got enough?__

All these voices starts to fill her head again it hurts, until she heard a voice. She stopped sobbing, trying to hear it more clearly. "Please don't be sad, Vanessa." It says. It sounded soft, faint and child-like, sounded like it came from a boy.

She slowly got out of the bed, walking shakily towards the wall in front of the bed, yet still giving distance in-between. "Who are you?" She whispered, with her voice shaking after crying. The voice refused to answer. She shook her head slowly, her teeth digging into her bottom lip.

Twelve hours ago, she was just an ordinary woman who is trying to find her own happiness, and now she had found herself talking to a wall. She felt oblivious. She crawled back to the bed and tucked into the duvet, trying to forget everything. Shots of whiskey may not even be strong enough to forget what just happened.

She's never felt this way before. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop these hypothetical thoughts that has compulsively played out in her mind, until she slowly drift off to sleep.

The sun has risen, feeding the flowers and bringing the forest back to life. The sunlight filtered through the window, casting shadows in her room, until it reaches the lids of her eyes, making her eyes squeeze.

She woke up with a start, and sat on the edge of the bed, still trying to gather her lives together. She looked around with her swollen eyes -  until she set them on a piece of paper. She furrowed her brows and reach her hands to the paper. She flipped her hair and read it.

 

  1. _No Guests_
  2. _Never Leave Brahms Alone_
  3. _Never Go In the Attic_
  4. _Never Cover Brahms Face_
  5. _Read a Bedtime Story_
  6. _Play Music Loud_
  7. _Clean the Traps_
  8. _Only Malcom Brings Deliveries_
  9. _Brahms is Never to Leave_
  10. _Kiss Goodnight_



 

She shuffled a bit where she sat and furrowed her eyebrows hard. What the heck? she whispered to herself. She figured that there was another paper underneath. Turns out it was a schedule of what Brahms, the doll, should be doing during the day. She flipped the paper and there was another writing behind it.

___Please take care of me, and never break the rules. Be good to me, and Ill be good to you._ _Crap. Was he thinking that Im his nanny now and thus I have to take care of a freaking doll? Insane._ _And who the hell a guy named Malcolm is? This my house, my own rules and Im the one whos in charge, not a posessed doll.__ _

 

___.. A posessed doll? I've never expected that to come across my thoughtful mind._ _ _

 

She crumpled the pieces of paper and threw it away into the bin basket. She took herself a shower, brush her teeth and draped her body in a casual white button-up tee and a pair of denim jeans, tying her hair into a ponytail.

 

She got herself out of the bathroom, walked down the hallway until she came across the dolls bedroom. She stopped, and glanced at the room with the door wide open and the doll sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at me. _Im pretty sure that_ _I've locked the door last night._

Its like he knew that shes going to take a look. Did you knew that I was going to take a look? she questioned the doll while walking towards him, with a suspicious expression drawn on her face and her index finger pointing at him. She knew how desperate she sounded.

She crossed her arms and sighed. _This is crazy._ She slowly kneel in front of him, staring deeply into his eyes. She continued to stare.. BOO! she shouted at the doll, attempted to scare him.

 _I_ _ts silly I know, Im just so upset. Im not sure what to do. Im clueless of what is **actually** going on in here_. She scrunched her lips in frustration, and rushed out of the room, slamming the door.

She made herself toast and eggs, and ate it eagerly. Her dinner last night was'nt a filling one. She drank some orange juice and wash the dishes. She actually felt eyes on her the entire time, leaving her feeling uncomfortable and watched.

She rested her arms on the counter, trying to figure out what to do during the day. She looked to the backyard garden through the kitchen window above the sink. _Why not continue to write my journal?_

She sat on the wooden bench, as per the usual, with her right hand supporting her head. There has been so much things happened throughout yesterday, Shes puzzled of where to start. She took a pencil into her grasp and start writing on the empty page of the note book.

“ _Yesterday was a crazy mess._ _Kind of a weird one, I think. Long story short, last night there was a porcelain, life-sized boy doll in all of a sudden showed up in my house. How he got here was a mystery I may or may not wanna know._

___He wore a tidy black suit, hes got a neat dark hair and innocent, yet despicable-looking gray eyes. He has creeped the blood out of me last night. Im sure I will do anything I can to forget about that night. But besides that, everything is well._ _ _

She stood up and get inside the kitchen.   _What should she make for lunch? Hell, she've never cared much about it, but she's in a bad need of a good distraction._ She opened the pages of a cookbook that she had found in the cupboard, with her fingers tracing down the pages.

 

Her eyes has found the end of their journey after she had set them on one of the recipes, its a mushroom risotto recipe.  _Worth a shot._

 


	3. One Step Closer

She opened the refrigerator to find an almost empty-looking storage space. She let out a sigh and figured that the grocery store is the place to go. She rushed upstairs, into her room to drape herself in a beige coat and set her long, wavy hair free. She walked to reach the doorknob until she heard a faint voice.

_“Where are you going?”_

It was that goddamned childlike voice again. She opened her mouth, but nothing seemed to come out. She’s still trying to figure out what to say, with her hanging hand formed into a fist. “Leave me alone.” she said faintly. She couldn’t believe it came out of her mouth, but she doesn’t know what’s way more honest than that.

She went out of the room, downstairs and out of the house. As she walked to reach the handle of the cab door, she stopped and glared at the sight of the castle-like house. Her mind suddenly take her into a flashback of when she laid her eyes on this house for the very first time.

Man, what a naive woman she was. She didn’t know what this house has in store for her, and what she’s got herself into.

It’s like you are on a trip to beautiful Paris, but you stepped into a cliff in the middle of the road, being thrown into wolves. And there’s no way to climb back up. She gasped in shock as the driver asked her in confusion with his brows furrowed, “Lady, do you want to hop in or not?”

“Oh, yeah sure. Sorry, sir.” She stuttered to the driver, as she step into the cab and to the grocery store she goes.

On the way in the cab, there’s too much traffic going on in her mind. She wasn’t so sure whether that sweet, childlike voice is just one of the voices that she usually heard in her mind, or if it’s real.

But, it sounded so real that her mind can’t help but compulsively think about it. She’s got no one to talk to, and though if she does, none of them are going to believe what she says. Everything sounded crazy, and clearly not possible to happen for the logical-minded.

Until an idea was beginning to take root into her head, giving her a hint of hope. _The seller. She must’ve known at least something about what happened in that mansion, because I’m now completely clueless about it._

She grabbed her groceries and went straight back home with a cab. As she attempted to store the groceries she bought into the fridge, she noticed something on the kitchen island.

There was a bowl with another bowl upside-down on top of it, to keep anything in it snug, warm and out of dust, but with a small piece of paper sat on top of the upside-down bowl. The piece of paper is wet, probably caused by the hot steam from something inside the bowl, thus made the paper wet.

She furrowed her brows on the sight of it, while she tucked some strands of her hair into the back of her ear. It was blank, but then she instinctively flip the piece of paper to read the writing on it.

_“I want you not to be sad anymore._

_-B”_

She stood there with the piece of paper in her grasp, with her mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say. She set the upside-down bowl aside, to see a generous bowl of warm, hearty chicken soup in the bowl, then she inhaled the pleasant scent of it deeply. She can’t help but smiled, and let out an ephemeral giggle, then she face-palmed herself.

_Wow. I didn’t expect him to do a nice thing to me. Even after I had ignored him and the rules. But how can a little boy cook such a dish? Well,_ _I think I need to stop wondering and start thinking and make decisions._

She looked around, but not sure what she’s looking for. She rested her hands on top of the kitchen counter and looked to her right, mostly because she had no idea where to look at whenever she had to talk to him.

"Thank you.. Brahms.” She said hesitantly in her breath. She let out a soothing smile, and then she started to continue her sentence.

"That's so sweet of you." And then she sighed. She was puzzled about which one to do first, because the soup is hardly tempting her taste buds, but she know she had to do the chores first.

She stored the groceries into the refrigerator, and after she's done with the task, she started eating the bowl of heaven eagerly, though it’s not steaming hot anymore, because the cold weather is enough to turn a glass of water into ice if being put outside.

She drank a glassful of water and sighed, what a filling feast. After she’s done with the dishes and hanged them on a rack to dry, she walked to the tv room until an ear-irritating ring of the antique, old phone in the study room stopped her.

She answered the call and asked the caller with a friendly tone, “Good morning, Vanessa Shade talking." She said with the thick British accent of her. Just before she attempted to say another sentence, the phone created raspy, inaudible sounds, probably caused by the lack of signal. “Hello?, can you hear me?” she asked as the raspy sounds stopped and the voice asked,

“ _Did you like it?”_

There asked the caller with the same sweet, childlike voice that started to become familiar for her ears. A thrill ran up to her spine, sending shivers down her body as her hands became shaky and her pupils shrunk.

“W, what..?” She asked with a shaky tone as she furrowed her eyebrows, when the voice immediately answered,

“ _The soup.”_

“Y, yes, absolutely.” She stuttered with complete honest, though if she didn't, that was the answer she had to say because she wouldn't want to risk making the person on the other side of the phone upset. She wasn't even sure what kind of creature he really is.

The only thing that she has to think about is how to deal with him in the best, harmless way. Her eyes are wandering around, trying hard to figure something out but failed.

“ _Good,”_ He said shortly with a slight pause,

“ _Now please take care of me.”_ He continued, before she bring one of her free hands up to cover her mouth, and gasped to the answer.

_Everything that had happened to her ever since she set her foot onto this mansion is already so much to take in, and then this. But the thought of realization had finally hit her mind like a truck. She realized that Brahms did this, well, to prove her that he’s real and he could do anything he wants to her, especially if she broke the rules._

_But it seemed like he let her off easily this time even after she ignored him, but maybe not after this call. Not until she push him to his patience limits._

It’s been a minute that already felt like a century as her mind is trying hard to figure out what the answer will be, with her mouth hanging open, until she finally had the courage to answer him as she did so,

“O, okay b, Brahms.. I’ll take care of you.” She finally answered hesitantly with a slight pause for her to sigh,

“But promise me you will not do anything bad to me.” She continued, with a tone that sounded confident, with her free hand forming into a fist. But deep down she is so unaware about what she's got herself into, and her emotions are a mix of fear and peevish.

The raspy sounds started to come back again, but not long after, those sounds disappeared as he answered,

 _“Okay!”_ with a sweet, cheerish voice that sounded like a little child ready to go out and have fun. He hanged the call up as she did also, and then she heard loud thumps followed by a laughter of a child upstairs. She let out a long sigh, _okay. It’s time._

Then she sternly walked upstairs, brushing the handle of the staircase until she opened the door of Brahms’ room, to find the room screwed up with lots of toys scattered around the floor, and the blanket of the bed being put on the doll like a cape.

She sighed with her head tilted to one side, glaring at him in frustration. _Okay. Just try to be a freaking patient nanny, and follow the goddamned rules. This is for the sake of your own safety, Vanessa._

She had finally gathered the guts to walk sternly towards him, and then she kneeled in front of his gaze. She tilted her head without detaching the intense stare she had on the grey, lifeless eyes of his.

.. Until a sentence finally came out of her mouth after the long, intense stare competition with the life-sized doll.

"Okay, Brahms, if that's what you wanted." She said with a slightly arrogant tone, before she contined to finish her sentence.

"Let's do this." She finished with the same previous tone, again without detaching the stare of her, and then she let out a sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you do, please leave Kudos! and your thoughts about this story in the comment section! Cheers!


	4. Piano Teacher

"Now is the time for your lunch, I guess." She said, while grabbing him on the waist, before she carry him downstairs and into the kitchen.

She sat the beautiful porcelain doll down on the window sill, where the sun directly filtered through the window, descending on his back, while she set to cook his lunch. She'd cooked him a hearty chicken stir fry, that smelled like food carried straight from heaven. She served it with some steaming white rice.

She walked to the lounge room to take a small tray to serve his food on, and as she came back to the kitchen, she immediately stopped with her mouth that can't help but let out a loud gasp as her eyes widened.

The doll has moved from the window sill, where he has logically sat down there the last time she saw him, to the dining chair at the end of the table, with his eyes already set on hers, sending shivers down to her whole body.

She gulped and bit her bottom lip, until she hesitantly walked towards the kitchen counter, putting the small tray on it, with her back facing him. Her hands are visibly shaking. She glared at the sight of him,

"Are you ready for lunch, Brahms?" She asked hesitantly without detaching the glare on him, and then she decided to set her eyes firmly back to the task on hand.

She put the plate full of food onto the small tray, with a glass of water next to the plate, and took the tray into her grasp. She sat herself on his right, while staring at him.

She put the tray onto the table, scooted it slowly to his front, and cross her arms on the table.

_And now, I guess it's my time to wait. Waiting for anything Brahms is up to about the food, and towards me. Gosh, I can't believe I did this for him under his pretention, and under my conscious mind._

_But I remembered_ _this sentence that I always remind myself about - everything that has happened throughout the days after I set foot into this_ _so-called mansion is beyond_ _unbelievable already, though._

_But for now, I just have to play along. That's the best way to deal with him. And when the time is right, I'm going to get the hell out of here. Completely._

She’s still waiting there, with Brahms sitting on the chair at the edge of the table with the food in his front, and what feels like a long, long, long 15 minutes, she’s still awaiting patiently for any of his move, but still nothing.

_Well, he has never spoke or moved an inch from his position every time my eyes are steadily set on him, so I guess this shy boy is in need of a bit of space. That’s fine, though. I myself still needs time to understand his gestures and ‘cues’._

She sighed while squeezing her eyes closed, and then she slowly stood up on her foot. “Okay, Brahms. I’ll leave you alone, but knock the table if you’re done with it, okay?” She said with a calm, friendly tone.

She smiled ephemerally to him and then she walked away with her eyes still attaching to the sight of his, until she finally lose the stare, gently closing the door behind her, leaving Brahms alone to do anything he’s up to towards the food in his front, that has turned slightly cold after the mere 15 minutes.

She calmly walked towards the library room. She’s walking around the room with her eyes wandering around, what a fancy life the Heelshire family has been living here.

She walked slowly in front of the wide and mile-high built-in bookcase, with her fingers gently tracing down the shown part of the books, until it stopped at the sight of a hard-cover book with a title that enticed the greyish-blue eyes of hers.

“ _The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”_

She tucked a strand of her hair into the back of her ear, as she started to wear a curious expression on her pale white face. She flip the book to read the synopsis behind it, as she walked to sit on the comfy armchair in front of the seemed like a well-used, yet fancy work desk.

Long synopsis short, the book went all Victorian-Era vibe, and the storyline was fascinating enough to catch her attention. It was about the fierce competition that the French had towards the Americans, who initiated the competition itself, because the beauty of the tallest structure in the world, at the era, Gustav Eiffel’s thousand foot tower were particularly galling to them.

The competition started as the Americans celebrated the 400th anniversary of Colombus’ discovery of America by sponsoring a world’s fair, which would not incidentally, offer an opportunity to outdo the French.

Chicago has made impressive progressions after they boastfully won the fierce competition, but here is where the devil enters, in the blue-eyed form of a cold-blooded psychopath who would kill anyone for pleasure and profit, alias H. H. Holmes, who is the first known urban psychopath in the history of America.

She cracked the book open, as started to read the first chapter of the book, while the fingers of her left hand is twirling some strands of her shiny brunette locks.

She started to become comfortable as she submerged herself in the story, even managing to ignore the presence of the so-called possessed boy doll in the kitchen, waiting for her to come and continue to take care of him.

There were some knocking noises that played a few times, sounded like it came from the kitchen, and the noise became louder until she realized that she was already in another world, in the middle of the 18th century, leaving little Brahms behind and unattended.

“ _Oh shit,_ ” She whispered to herself, as she rushed to put the book away and into the kitchen, knowing that she just screwed up for the first time. She felt scared and dangerous, as she remembered the second, important rule that he created, _Brahms is never to leave._

She burst into the kitchen and immediately stuttered to the doll, still sitting in the same position. “I, I I’m sorry Brahms, I was completely l, lost in my mind till I forgot about you, I.. I’m so sorry okay..”

She put her hands on top of the dining table, staring straight into Brahms, while alternately looking at the empty table, “W.. Where’s your food, Brahms?” She said faintly in a confused tone, with her eyebrows furrowed.

There was supposed to be at least a plate of uneaten food of his in front of him, or maybe a dirty dish, if the ‘possessed’ doll can actually eat the food, that she have to wash afterwards, but it’s gone.

Her eyes slowly moved up to look at the kitchen sink, with the drying rack beside it, and there was Brahms’ previous dirty dish and glass, responsibly sparkling clean in the drying rack. She sighed at the sight of it, and calmly looked back to the dreary grey eyes of his, then she gently brushed his dark neat hair gingerly with her fingers,

“You don’t have to do it, Brahms.” She said faintly, before she gave a soothing smile to him. “B, but thank you.” She followed the sentence. She stood up from where she sat, and walked to the kitchen counter, where she laid Brahms’ ‘to-do’ list.

Her eyes are observing the paper full of words, until she decided to let out a word to him. “Well, I think it’s time for your piano lessons now. Let’s start!” She said to him in a friendly, cheerish tone, trying to make sure the peace of her with him is in full-condition.

_It’s okay, dear self. Just play it along and cool with him, and you will eventually know when the time is right._

She carried Brahms gently and they went into the study room, where she left the book there. There was some music instrument collections, such as the classic, grand piano, a violin in red, and a beautiful gramophone.

Everything is antique, and each of them looked like they costs her previous flat in London. She carried and sat Brahms on the chair in front of the grand piano, while she went to the large bookcase to look for a music sheet book for pianos.

_Should I find a music sheet book for beginners? I guess he looks like one so that is it._

She reached to take the book and carry it to Brahms’ sight, and then she place it on top of the piano buttons, so that he can read it and play. _Well, logically it has to be me._

She glanced at the doll, bit her bottom lip and sighed. She moved her sight to the piano, and when she started to play a few notes of the music, her mind in all of a sudden takes her back to when she was 18 years old, back to when she newly moved to London.

* •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •

_She stepped into the gigantic, tall room where some people were playing tons of different instruments, and the way they played it were exquisite. Beautiful rhythms echoed gracefully around the room. Her eyes were wondering around as she walked to where most people are playing pianos._

_She grinned in an awe, until a fairly deep, sonorous voice stopped her wander._

_“Miss Shade, welcome to the class.” He spoke to her in such a friendly tone, yet the wide smile drawn on his face were slightly flirtatious._

_She gave a demure smile to the man who looked like still at his early twenties, as she unwittingly continued to gaze at his captivating hazel eyes, leaving his right hand, that’s patiently waiting for her to return the hand shake, hanging._

_She suddenly snapped out of her gaze and eventually return the handshake back, yet without detaching eye contact. He doesn’t seem to want to stop gazing at the beauty in front of him, too._

_The pace of the heart of her were in an unusual pace, when this odd feeling hit her hard, as she realized that both of her palms are sweating. She realized that this is her first time to, obviously, fall for someone._

_His smile was genuine, and the dimples on his cheek perfectly complemented his strong jawlines, the point at which the fawn curls at the back of his head meets the crook of his neck._

_“Are you Mr. Aden, the piano teacher?” She asked in a slightly quick pace, with her eyebrows furrowed. “Yes, I am. It’s nice to have you in my class.” He answered, with such a gentle deep voice, before he realized that their handshake is still attached, yet he honestly doesn’t want to meet the end of her touch._

_He finally took his right hand away and into his jeans pocket. She tucked some of her hair in the front to the back of her ear, as she stuttered to the eyes of his, “Wow, I thought you’re older than this. A, and please, just call me Vanessa” She said with a slight pause, as he bring his gaze down to the floor, without losing the smile of his, kind of flattered._

_“You’re still in college?” She continued her sentence, as she tilt her head. “Yeah, but this is my last year in college though so, yeah, Vanessa.” He answered, still can’t let the flattered feeling go, as he bring his left hand up to his chin, rubbing his thin beard._

_She instinctively nodded, before she move her gaze to the floor. “Umm.. Okay. I, I’ll take a seat.” She stuttered, as she ended the kind of awkward conversation with him with a smile. She walked to one of the piano, as she suddenly snapped out of this newly recalled event her brain finally processed to remember._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the movie The Boy (2016) or any of it's character except for Aden, Vanessa, her mother and 2 more characters who haven't showed up yet. I hope you enjoyed! :)


	5. Good Ol' Days

Silence filled the whole room, as the only sound continued to be the reckless wind dancing outside. She snapped out of her thoughts and gasped, when a voice called her to get sober and to continue the lesson.

“ _Vanessa?”_ The sweet, childlike voice asked her, as her eyes glared around, trying to figure out where did the voice came from but, obviously, failed. She knew that the voice didn’t came out of the mouth of the doll, but in his **game** , she’s supposed to talk to the doll, to Brahms.

She moved her glance to the cracked, expressionless face of the doll, and stuttered to him, “I, I’m sorry Brahms, I-I got lost in my thoughts again. Let’s continue our lesson, shall we?” She said to him faintly, as she ended her sentence with a quick fake smile.

She let out a small sigh and continue to set her eyes on the piano buttons, before her fingers started dancing, playing it smoothly.

The melody of the classical music filled the whole room, as the sound of it echoed in the hallway, making the house looked and sounded all the more eerie. The leaves of the trees started to fall heavily, and most of the trees on the outside of the house is now only consisted of dry branches.

...

She had finally succeed to accompany him until the end of the night. She carried him upstairs, walked to the eerie hallway and into his bedroom, and finally tucked him in his bed. As she attempted to walk outside of his bedroom, she remembered his last, but not least rule, _Kiss Him Goodnight._

She slowly and cautiously walked to the side of his bed, and she can really feel that there’s someone, or something staring heavily at her, making sure that she obeyed that one last rule.

She slowly leaned in, and planted a soft kiss on the porcelain doll’s face. It obviously is felt really weird to do that, and the cheek of his cold face tasted odd. It tasted like nothing.

She pulled the kiss away, and set her stare at his face, reckoning if she did it right. She can feel that the intense stare, that she had no clue whose it is, detached and relieved the tension in the back of her neck, as she squeezed her eyes shut and sighed in relief.

She stood up on her feet and reached to turn the lights off. “Goodnight, Brahms. Sleep tight.” She said faintly, before she reach the doorknob and walk into her bedroom.

She threw her butt on the comfy armchair in her bedroom by the door. _What a day, Vanessa. I still can’t believe myself that I’d done doing it all under his pretention._

She smirked and laughed at herself pretty loudly, but her laugh sounded dreary and.. desperate. ‘ _I can’t believe..’_ She mumbled in her laugh, and then she let out a sigh. _I guess a warm shower can help to calm my nerves down._

She went out of her room and into the bathroom, but she stopped before she reached the doorknob of the bathroom. She slowly walked towards the doorstep of Brahms’ room, and slowly yet gently crack the door open.

The door can’t help but let out a squeaky sound that make her cringe. There was the doll, still in the same position she left him, tucked in bed. _Looked asleep, though._

She let out a small sigh and close the door behind her, then she walked into the bathroom. She locked the door and rushed to set her foot on the mat in front of the shower, because the temperature of the cold tile suddenly sent heavy shivers to her body.

In the shower, while hot, steaming water streamed down to her body, there’s too much traffic going on in her mind.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the memory her brain had finally let her to remember, the first time she laid eyes on those captivating hazel eyes of his. She remembered every inch of the details of Aden.

The way his dimples glow created by his kindest smile compliments every features of his, with his perfectly straight and pearly white teeth.

He always had the kindest face, and his short, fawn, wavy locks are one of her favourite features of his. He has the same glorious taste in music as her, and he is one more sentimental and caring person added into her life, after her father.

That’s what makes her the happiest to be with him, he reminds her of her beloved father. He’s the one who always had her back, the greatest company she can keep, and the one who would never let her down.

He’s a true carer, he’s a lover.

She can never help but shed tears, as the streaming shower immediately wash it away. She still can’t remember how did she lose him, but she may or may not want to know about it.

It will only reopen the cut she had hid for months.

She got out of the shower, hug herself with a towel and brushed her teeth. She went to her room, get dressed in a pyjamas and lay on the bed. She gazed at the ceiling, for half an hour, while her mind is still wondering around, still couldn’t stop thinking about those good ol’ days, when the only thing she wanted to do in life is to spend it with him.

She stood up, and walked to the dresser to take her note book, and laid back to her bed. She sighed, again, puzzled on where to start, and then she finally started to write.

_“I eventually did it. I took care of the goddamned doll, and he actually did me good today. I hope it would stay the same, I mean, his behaviour. Me? I really want to get the blood out of here immediately, but my curiosity couldn’t help but get the better of me. And, he has got myself remembered about Aden, in all of a sudden when I played piano for the doll. It made me remember the way he always made my heart flutter every time he’s nearby.”_

_“I know this is kind of weird to believe, but this doll has affected me, in a good way. Well, not entirely, but just a little. He made me remember about those days when life is well. When happiness has filled my guts, and when I thought life would never suck at all. It did my feelings good, but galling at the same time, because I just proved to myself that sometimes, life can never always go your way. And when it happens, the only thing to do is to deal with it in the best way and to make sure that you make the best decisions.”_

She wasn’t sure why she would write such words, because the only one who will read this is just herself. Well, it’s a pretty good advice for her younger self.

But, little did she know, she wasn’t actually taking care for the doll only. Deep down in the bottom of her heart, she didn’t want to leave no, but she could. It would’ve been easy. But there’s a feeling that has newly emerged in the bottom of her heart, and it keeps her going.

A very odd feeling started to fill her stomach. She couldn’t even read it quite well, but it has a mix of fear, tension and curiosity. It made the muscles of her heart race faster.

She never knew who the shadows, that always sent heavy shivers through her body, in these very walls was, and she never knew that the shadow has fallen for her.


	6. Phone Call

A week has passed, yet no rules has been broken, and the nanny routine has been something that she’s got used to nowadays.

Boredom has took root in her head, so this afternoon she decided to have a stroll outside, to feed her nemophilist soul, with Brahms. She knew he is never to leave, and she’s not interested in breaking the rules for it.

She sat the doll, who has been draped in a jacket that she found in his bedroom’s wardrobe, on the armchair in the hallway. The jacket seems like it fits his size perfectly, and maybe it’s supposed to be his.

She knew that, it’s kind of useless to do that to a doll, I mean, _he is just a doll._ But this doll is _something like none others._ And playing it along may content the soul who owned the doll, or who the doll resembles.

She actually knew next to nothing about it, but this time, she only wants to relax and at least, try to enjoy her life while she can.

She wore a jacket and knee-high boots, knowing that the weather outside would be feet-freezing cold.

She carried the doll and took a slow walk outside, while her eyes are busy on admiring the beauty of the forest, with afternoon sunlight filtering through the branches, illuminating the forest.

She walked with a smile drawn on her face, while her cheeks turned rosy red, caused by the cold weather. Oh, how much she loved the forest is ineffable.

Not only that the silence, the soothing sounds of tiny animals and chirps of graceful, singing birds has never ceased to amaze her and calm her nerves down, she always loved to spend her free time in the woods, as a child. All alone.

The forest has taught almost everything she needed to know about life, without uttering any words. The way the animals behaved among each other, especially birds and ants, has thought her respect, and manners.

It also taught her much about survival, and to always stick to each other in tough times. She had witnessed a ‘battle’ when she was little, when a giant colony of termites assaulted a cavity where a colony of ants lived and breed, with a magnifying glass.

The termites recklessly exterminated all of the ants, and took their larva. She was terrified by the sight of it, but she noticed that fortunately a few of them has survived escaping, and still has the potential to start a new colony, and make a new cavity for them.

It was a huge relief in the heart for her, and she couldn’t imagine how worst humans could’ve done to each other.

She continued to enjoy the afternoon stroll with him, before a sight of a grey, flowers-surrounded tombstone has chased the greyish-blue eyes of hers. Curiosity has got the better of her, so she slowly walked to the tombstone.

She kneeled in front of it, and sat Brahms on the grassy ground. Her hands reached to touch the top of the tombstone, as she furrowed her eyebrows to read the writing on the epitaph.

**_“Brahms Heelshire”_ **

****

**_“1983 – 1991”_ **

****

**_“.. he shall not perish,_ **

**_But have an everlasting life.”_ **

 

She gulped hard, with her mouth hanging open while her eyes were cracked hard open and cautious. There’s a churning feeling that has newly emerged inside her stomach, and she felt shivers that has nothing to do with the cold weather bolted up to her spine.

_So.. It’s actually about him. Literally him. But here I am, kneeling in front of the very tombstone of his._

Her brain couldn’t help but bomb herself with dozens of oblivious questions.

But there’s this one big question that suddenly hit her mind like a truck, just like when puberty hits, and it made the hair all over her body stand straight up and her head slowly turned to the sight of his.

_What’s with the doll? Is it supposed to be a reminiscence of his?_

But the millions of cracks on his cold porcelain face that has caught her blue eyes that has been  occupied with fear and curiosity seemed like it tells a whole different story.

She continued to slowly examine the epitaph, trying to look for any clue it will may give her. She caress the cold stone as her eyes had found a stop for their journey.

**_“1983 – 1991”_ **

****

She let out a small gasp as she realized about just how long poor little Brahms had lived his life.

_What kind of sinister incident had happened to him? Death isn’t something any eight year old child deserved to encounter._

All these spine-chilling thoughts couldn’t stop play out in her mind, and it’s unsettling. The thought of it honestly breaks the small of her heart.

She turned her sight, that has newly been filled with sorrowful colour to his, and sighed deeply. She was up to carry the doll inside, as the very air started to freeze the both of her lips and toes, when she abruptly set her eyes on the frightful shadow behind the window.

Her mouth can’t help but let out a loud gasp as the size of her eyes started to grew big. The shadow instantly disappeared as her butt fell to the ground where she crouched.

She quickly yet harshly carry the doll and burst into the house, with mud covering her boots. She sat the doll on the armchair in the hallway and rushed to set her eyes on the kitchen where she previously saw the nerve-racking shadow.

_Zero._ She checked the dining room and a few other rooms next to the kitchen, she came into the billiard room, until she heard a creak that has nothing to do with her footsteps emerged.

She bring one of her hands that are now visibly shaking up to cover her mouth, to prevent her mouth from letting out any gasp.

She slowly walked towards a long vertical mirror in the room with her knees weakly shaking. The shiny wooden floorboards can’t help but let out a whole lot of squeaky sounds that make her cringe no matter how gently she tried to walk.

She sighed shakily right in front of the mirror, and started to lean in slowly, before pressing her right ear to the mirror, trying hard to hear any kinds of sound that could may be heard.

She’s pretty much certain that the creak sound came from behind the mirror, right after she entered the room. She squeezed her eyes shut, still patiently waiting for a hint of a spark, until a faint **thump** suddenly sting her ears.

She cracked both of her eyes hard open as soon as she heard the sound, as the breath of her became shaky and slightly out of her control.

There were a creak being heard once again, and the back of her neck suddenly felt the tension that has started to become familiar for her ever since she stepped into the doorstep of this house.

She can really feel that the skin around her head and her neck started to become hotter, as the hair all over her body raise, before..

_“Vanessa?”_

She instinctively jumped away from where she stood and fell on the floor before she rushed out of the room and into the kitchen. She sat on the cold tile with her back laying on the kitchen counter, as she started to sob.

This is already so much for her to take in, she could barely even catch any of her breathe. She continued to sob as tears started to roll down her rosy cheeks..

…

The beep sounds started to play out on her cell phone while it’s pressed against her ear. She sat on one side of her bed, while the expression on her face continued to be her concerned one.

“ _C’mon, c’mon, pick up the call, pick up the call..”_ She mumbled, before the top set of her teeth started to dig into her bottom lip.

**_“Hello? Greta speaking.”_** Asked the woman on the other side of the phone with a controlled tone, yet she didn’t know how much her voice has relieved Vanessa’s nerves down.

“Ahhh, finally. Umm, I.. I actually have a, severe problem with the house. Can I ask you a few questions?” She asked with hesitation in her words yet she tried so hard to sound as calm and friendly as possible.

**_“Yes, of course. Shoot.”_ **

“D-did you know about.. The creepy sounds that usually, I-I mean.. very frequently been heard in here?”  She asked with a slight pause,

“I mean, yeah it may be just the sounds that came from the rats or the water system maybe? B-but I just wanted closure.” She stuttered, with such lies in her words.

_On the other side of the phone.._

Her throat became dry just after what the woman had said. Her hands started to shake weakly, as the breath of her starts to become slightly uncontrollable.

She had tried so hard all these months to forget about the disturbing events that had happened in that goddamned mansion, and that was why she wanted someone to settle in there immediately. She couldn’t bear to think about any of those things anymore.

But she couldn’t deny it, the truth in her words. **_It must be Brahms._**

She let out a deep sigh and cleared her, that had actually became dry as the Saharan desert, throat.

_Back to Vanessa.._

**_“Yeah, you’re probably right. It must be the water system that you may have to work on, because I’ve never had that kind of problem before.”_ **

****

She could really sense the covered fear and tension in Greta’s voice, and she knew that her words weren’t true. She must’ve known something. She couldn’t let her slip away.

“W-well, I actually have heard some voi-“

**_“Have a nice day, Vanessa.”_ **

****

The static sounds started to play out, meaning Greta have hanged up the call. She slowly put her cellphone down, without detaching the intense stare she had on the wall in front of her, with her shaky hands.

_And that is it. She hanged up the call, refused to open up and left me. What a bitch._

Her hands started to clinch into fists, before she stood up and walk away.


	7. A Message

**_6 days later.._ **

The temperature is gradually falling down in the past few days in the late October, and the scenery of the golden falling leaves had disappeared before cold, crisp and feet-freezing weather starts to take place.

The ethereal, filtered light in the forest had been gone, because most the trees in the forest are now consisted of dry branches. Days became more quiet, as the only sounds continued to be the wind recklessly blowing the trees and the dry, fallen leaves away.

She walked out there - with what seemed like three layers of jacket and scarves – and threw the bodies of the dead rats from the traps into the huge, black garbage bag.

She put about six bags of garbage on to the grass-free soil, and lit them on fire. She sat a little far away in front of the burning garbage, while sipping in the _it-was-hot-but-the-cold-weather-don’t-give-a-damn-about-it_ caffeine in a heavy, stainless-steel mug.

She intentionally used a stainless-steel mug in hopes that it could help to warm up her palms, but now it doesn’t seem like it can make a difference in any ways.

She watched the burning sight about six meters in front of her, when her brain suddenly took her into a flashback it has newly recalled..

_She panted heavily and jumped out of the car, before groaning in pain. She walked with all the strengths she had left away from the car in a quick pace, to see the frightful sight of the big, tall tree being hit by her car._

_The glistened eyes of hers had suddenly caught a sight that made eyes narrowed themselves._

_She slowly ducked her head to get a clearer sight, to see the gasoline dripping in a rapid motion underneath her car. Her eyes suddenly cracked hard open as her heart unintentionally skipped a beat, when she saw a flickering flame right on top of the dripping gasoline._

_She instinctively jumped away into the forest, before her car had lit on fire._

_She exhaled deeply, and threw her butt on the grass in the woods, and looked up to the deep dark navy blue sky. She continued to sob quietly, while laying her back on a tree, before a severe pain suddenly sting the front side of her head._

_Both of her hands instinctively reached to hold her head in its grasp, as she squeezed her eyes shut and moaned in pain. Her ears suddenly lost control, as the only sound that she could hear now is an endless, ear- irritating sound that you can usually hear when there is no sound around._

_Her body is in a very unstable condition and weak, she could never even move any part of her body anymore._

_A chill ran up to her spine as she felt her legs became colder. The pain in the inside of her head is unbearable for her, she even managed to ignore the injuries she had on the both of her legs, and fresh blood has streamed slowly through it._

_Her hands became uncontrollably shaky, and her eyes starts to feel heavy. She slowly closed the both of her eyes as her breathe became slower and steadier.._

_Until she felt hard plains of muscles lifting her nerveless body up bridal-style and took her away._

_She still couldn’t see the figure of the man who carried her, as the lids of her eyes felt heavier and heavier. She still wasn’t certain enough of who the man who had finally gave her help is, but it could’ve been the paramedics from the ambulance._

_She don’t even know who did made the call, but help is the only thing that she needed the most at the moment._

_The man took her deeper and deeper into the woods.._

…

She suddenly snapped out of her thoughts, as the clamorous thunder clapped a few times in the sky, waking her up from the daydream she just had.

 _‘Bugger.’_ she mumbled as she got up on her feet and ran back into the house as droplets of the rain started to touch her skin.

She rubbed the damp dirt off of her boots onto the mat in front of the doorstep, put it on the floor beside the door and went inside before she rubbed the both of her palms while blowing it with the hot breathe of hers.

She hanged her jacket onto the wooden hatstand beside her and walked into the kitchen. She still couldn’t believe that it has already been her sixth cup of coffee, but she could never resist the need of the hot, dark-coloured beverage she has been craving for nowadays.

She checked her phone to see what time is it right now, but three message notifications from an unknown number had caught the sight of the bright blue eyes of hers. She furrowed her eyebrows, while her fingers hesitantly opened the chat.

**_“Hey Vanessa! Everything alright?”_ **

****

**_“Just wanted to check up on u! I got ur number from edward, since I just realized that u had bought a new phone since the last one of urs is dead XD”_ **

****

**_“Can’t wait to see u again! Is saturday alright?”_ **

****

She stared at the text while her mouth is unwittingly hanging open. She walked slowly towards the dining table and sat on the chair without detaching the intense stare that she had at the text.

 

“ _Afternoon. Do I know you?”_

She typed in, and sent it. She put her phone down onto the table surface, before she went up on her feet and towards the stove to turn the flame off, as the water has came to a boil inside the kettle.

She went around to look for the trusty stainless-steel mug of hers, before she rushed to look out the window.

“Bloody hell,” She mumbled after she set her eyes on the stainless-steel mug far away outside filled with rain water on the ground, the way she just left it.

**_Unknown number is typing.._ **

****

**_“Wait up, can i ask u what ur name is..?”_ **

****

She spun around and quickly sat back to the chair after she heard the notification from her phone. She furrowed her eyebrows as her fingers started to type in..

_“My name is Vanessa.”_

**_Unknown number is typing.._ **

****

**_“Oml sorry, I just remembered what u’ve been through. Im Alice, do u remember? We used to be besties!”_ **

****

_“Sorry I don’t.. Is there any possibilities that you may’ve got the wrong number?”_

**_“Whatevs. im coming to your crib tomorrow, we’ll see if u can remember me. Alright?”_ **

****

_“Sorry, I don’t know you.”_

She let out a sigh as she took her hand up to support her chin. She repeatedly moved her gaze up to the sight of the kettle. _The water must’ve been cold by now.._

**_“Ugh dammit, nessa. Of course im not going to grab a knife and stab u in there!”_ **

****

**_“Im coming over tomorrow by the noon, cook something delicious! :p”_ **

****

She’s still in the same position, trying hard to remember who in the world Alice who she once knew is. Well, of course this is common to happen to her, as she haven’t even remembered most of the events from before the accident, but she had to come up with a reply.

_“See you tomorrow.”_

She exhaled deeply after she sent it, before she went up to turn the flame on the stove back on again. The rain doesn’t seem that it isn’t enough to flood the soil around the mansion, nor will it stop in a few hours.

The boiling-hot water poured out into a tall mug as she stirred it with instant espresso powder, before she looked around and poured in some Cognac while whistling a cheerful tune.

She walked down the hallway and into the TV room while sipping in the dark liquid from the mug in her grasp, and threw her butt onto the couch. She turned the television on and continued to sip in the boozy coffee, before she suddenly heard a noise from the other room.

She almost got choked by the drink and immediately coughed afterwards, before she put the mug down and slowly went up on her feet. She slowly walked towards the noise with trembling feet.

The ear-irritating noise of the opera music echoed the whole house, overpowered the thunderclap and the rain pouring heavily outside.

She walked into the room to find little Brahms sitting on the armchair behind the fancy study desk, his eyes already set on hers. The stare his grey lifeless eyes had towards hers sent shivers down through her spine.

Her feet rushed towards the gramophone before her hand quickly turn it off. She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, while looking at Brahms.

“I’m sorry, Brahms.. I forgot about you. I promise I won’t do it ever again.” She stuttered, before biting her lower lip as the expression on her face changed into her concerned one.

“Please don’t punish me, okay?” She said faintly, feared that it would upset the soul of his.

She let out a deep sigh and looked down on the floor, “I’m just going to turn the TV off and we’ll study together, okay?”

She turned around hesitantly and went to the TV room. Her hand reached to take the TV remote turn the television off, before the loud opera music played back again, shocking her.

She rushed into the library room to find Brahms sitting on the floor right in front of the end table where the gramophone sat, with a piece of paper on his lap. She stood there staring at the sight of his with her shaky legs, before she slowly walked towards him and kneeled in front of his lap, taking the piece of paper into her grasp.

It was the list of the strict rules Brahms had once gave it to her, but there is a red crayon mark under one of the rules.

**_“.._ **

  1. **_Play Music Loud_**



**_..”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Just want you to know that if the words are written in italic, then it's most likely to be her thoughts, except mentioned otherwise or if it doesn't seem like it.


End file.
